Hydra Corinthian(2018)
Hydra Corinthian was a mark IV American jaeger. Piloted by Stephanie Lanphier and Kennedy LaRue, Hydra defended parts of South America from kaiju attack until its destruction in 2024. Hydra's base of operations was the Panama Shatterdome. History Early Combat History Panama's measly complement of just two jaegers stemmed from its relatively narrow coverage area. Hydra thus undertook frequent deployments with jaegers from other Shatterdomes, namely Diablo Intercept and Solar Prophet. She rarely rode together with her fellow American mechs. Glyptodon May 5, 2019 saw the arrival of the final category II kaiju. Glyptodon leisurely cruised around the Galapagos Islands, basking in the beautiful sunlight and utterly ignorant of the distressed choppers buzzing all around it. This gave the nearby Shatterdomes more than enough time to mobilize their jaegers; Panama deployed Hydra Corinthian, while Diablo Intercept stood by in Manta. Hydra arrived just in time to cut off Glyptodon, who had begun lazily paddling toward San Cristobal Island thirty minutes earlier. The jaeger announced her arrival with a resonating pulse-cannon shot; Glyptodon squeaked in alarm as the ultrasonic frequency disoriented its sluggish brain. Hydra burst forward under the power of her jets and raked Glyptodon's shell, only to overshoot as the "Hydra's claws" glanced off harmlessly. A series of powerful thrusts yielded the same unimpressive results, prompting Hydra to change tactics. Glyptodon grew increasingly annoyed at Hydra's aggressive attacks to the point where it attempted an offense of its own. Hydra weaved in and out of the kaiju's lethargic slaps, prodding at its legs every time they shot outward. As Glyptodon's aggressiveness reached its zenith, Hydra's PH43 death ray and burned a gaping hole through its shell. Two more sizzling salvos later, Glyptodon was flailing around in a state of mad frenzy, growing increasingly unbalanced with each step. Hydra shot forward and rammed her claws into Glyptodon's side, flipping it over while exposing its soft belly. Glyptodon was fried to death as Hydra slashed open its belly and unloaded her death ray into the contents within. Manticore Manticore breached on February 28, 2021, intent on destroying Guayaquil. The Panama Shattedome deployed Hydra Corinthian and kept Puma Real as back-up in case of an emergency. Diablo Intercept and Solar Prophet rendezvoused with Hydra near Guayaquil. Although well-muscled and streamlined, Manticore was uncannily slow for its build. By the time all three jaegers were dropped onto Guayaquil's Miracle Mile, the kaiju was yet to bypass the Galapagos Islands. After some deliberation, LOCCENT ordered a change of tactics; Hydra would move underwater and attempt an ambush to Manticore's unarmored belly, while Diablo and Prophet pounded it from the surface. Two hours later, spotters reported a blue-tinged object paddling towards the Miracle Mile. The bogey's water speed doubled not long after as it bolted for shore. In response, Hydra shot forward and jammed her claws into Manticore's midriff. The massive collision sent shockwaves reverberating through Hydra's hull, causing minor leaks in the conn-pod and severe damage to system components. Nonetheless, it was enough to propel Manticore onto the surface, where Prophet and Diablo lay in wait. Diablo was unable to get a clear shot with her napalm spears as Manticore, with Hydra latched onto its back, struggled like a rabid animal. Prophet slammed both fists into Manticore's stomach and nailed a burst of large-caliber bullets through its hide. This further enraged the beast, which finally managed to hurl Hydra onto a boulder. The impact buckled Hydra's chest armor, burying a hailstorm of shrapnel into her batteries. Hydra was severely crippled and unable to move. With Hydra out of their way, Diablo and Prophet began tag-teaming a dazed Manticore in standard double-team formation. Prophet's gatling-punches diverted the kaiju's attention while Diablo jammed eight spears through its flank, ripping open some beautifully satisfying wounds. Diablo followed by yanking out each spear and thrusting it back in until Manticore's hide became a tattered mess of shredded flesh. By the time Hydra struggled back to her feet, the Mk.II's had whittled down Manticore's energy to a diminutive level. Although Hydra's damage rendered her unable to limp back into the fray, Lanphier and LaRue leaned onto the boulder and charged their PH43 death ray. Diablo and Prophet had skewered each limb of Manticore's with a spear and were holding the kaiju up like sadistic flag-bearers. The surrounding air rippled with energy as the dispersed microwave gradually vaporized Manticore's body. All that was left of it were the four limbs, still hanging from the spears brandished by Diablo and Prophet. Biantal January 3, 2024 saw the category IV Biantal rapidly closing in on Chile. Hydra was paired up with Echo Saber and deployed to Concepción, while Mammoth Apostle and Diablo Intercept stood by as back-up. It was Matador Fury who intercepted the bogey near Easter Island, if not only briefly; the Mexican jaeger was reduced to radioactive scrap just 1 hour into the engagement. Sparing no time, Biantal skirted around the sparsely populated Easter Islands and made headway for Concepción. By then, Biantal's water speed had almost quadrupled. The marshals deemed a preemptive strike too risky and opted to keep the two Mk.IV's on Concepción's Miracle Mile. Nevertheless, both jaegers now had a good idea of Biantal's capabilities. As soon as spotter helicopters made visual contact with Biantal, Hydra activated her rear jets and soared into the air, nailing the kaiju with a tremendous elbow-drop upon landing. To add insult to injury, Hydra fired her pulse cannon at point-blank range and completely froze Biantal's movements. Hydra tackled Biantal onto its side and began sinking her claws into the segments between the kaiju's domed armor plates. With Echo Saber also slashing at its belly, Biantal could do nothing as the blood gradually drained from its body. Upon ripping out layers of Biantal's armor, Hydra's Rangers managed to expose the kaiju's spinal vertebrate. Shards of bone flew in every direction as a vicious knee-kick obliterated Biantal's spine. Although the pulse cannon's effects had worn off, Biantal was completely paralyzed. Hydra proceeded to sadistically chop off every limb before hurling the kaiju at Echo, who had stepped back minutes earlier to charge her napalm cannons. Hydra calmly held open Biantal's wounds while Echo unloaded napalm into the contents within. Flames spurted from the kaiju's internals, bringing with it the acrid stench of Blue and decomposing flesh. Hydra stomped on Biantal's neck and ripped open its jaw, holding it open for Echo to jam a sword into the throat. LOCCENT quietly declared no signature as the public watched in awe at the sheer decisiveness of the engagement. Indominus Hydra was lifted out to Anchorage as soon as Indominus slipped into the water near Sitka. Chrome Brutus had been thoroughly annihilated at the hands of Indominus, leaving the Northerners clamoring for vengeance. The next five hours saw everything from coast guard cutters to USAF drones scouring the vicinity of Alaska for signs of the kaiju. On the eve of the 6th hour, spectrometer buoys near Nome abruptly cut out. Analysis of their recordings just before impact confirmed the culprit to be Indominus. Hydra was immediately deployed to Nome for a scheduled double-team effort with Brawler Yukon. Initially, Indominus attempted the same tactic that had brought down Chrome Brutus. What it didn't realize was that due to its vicinity to shore, spotters were able to discern its distinctive bioluminescent markings with relative ease. Indominus thus ended up with its head buried under eight-hundred tons of reinforced concrete after ramming into Nome's anti-kaiju wall at 300 kilometers per hour. Its desperate struggles to disentangle itself gave way to disorientation after soundwaves from Hydra's sonic cannon penetrated its skull. Or so they thought. Hydra deployed her claws, slogged up to her slumbering target, and sunk them deep into its neck. The world's press were then treated to the bizarre sight of a jaeger quite literally butchering a prone kaiju, equivalent to its human counterpart casually chopping up a hunk of beef. Seven minutes of witnessing such a mundane spectacle instilled into their minds a false sense of serenity, rendering them utterly defenseless for the stab of adrenaline that accompanied Indominus' tail shifting up and right through Hydra's midsection. Unfortunately for the PPDC, there had been no K-scientist with the audacity to hike across eight-hundred tons of reinforced concrete and plug in a few dainty brainwave detectors through the skull of a two-thousand ton sea monster. Had such a dauntless individual existed, Stephanie LaRue and Kennedy Lanphier might, perhaps, have realized that their potent sonic cannon was potent no more. Instead, they found themselves the recipients of a searing pain in their bellies, followed by the sensation of getting hurled off the Grand Canyon and onto a particularly jagged hunk of rock. Titanic waves crashed onto Nome's beach, masking the dull thud of a skyscraper-sized mech slamming onto a lighthouse. Indominus, making odd gurgling noises from the gaping incisions on its throat, charged forward in unbridled rage. If the calculations made by its unusually developed brain were correct, the two Earthlings inside the blue titan's head would react instinctively. And react instinctively they did, for the only thing one can do when a particularly large object is hurtling toward her at unearthly speeds is to shield her face with her hands. Normally, getting rammed by a two-thousand ton monster while a gaping hole weakened her midsection would have cleaved Hydra Corinthian in half. Yes, LaRue and Lanphier reacted as any human being would have: they put up their arms out of pure instinct. But they weren't just normal humans, weren't they? They were Rangers, gifted with a unique skill and drilled incessantly to make maximum use of it. So instead of just cowering behind their arms, they also pivoted ever so slightly to the left. That made all the difference. LOCCENT crews watched in horror as Indominus closed the distance and rammed into Hydra. They let out a collective gasp as Hydra raised her arms in defense. This was it. This was the end. Hydra would be cleaved in half, while Indominus would stampede through Nome until they threw it a new chew toy going by the name of Brawler Yukon. But no, this wasn't the end. Monitors still displayed Lanphier and LaRue's vitals as stable. How come? Hydra had been ripped in half five seconds ago. She couldn't possibly be intact, not after suffering a shredded midsection beforehand. A minute passed. Two more. Then the waves and sleet subsided. Everyone whooped aloud at the sight of Hydra, kneeling on top of Indominus, whose face was gradually getting melted into vapor by a dazzling ray of light emanating from Hydra's arms. Seconds before impact, Hydra raised her arms and pivoted to the left. The impact of Indominus slamming into her sent both spiraling counterclockwise into the air, with Hydra ending up on top of the kaiju. Without hesitation, Hydra's Rangers deployed both microwave death-rays and bagged their fourth kill. Insurrector Destruction Features Hydra Corinthian is an extremely offense-centered jaeger, equipped with an arsenal of devastating weapons and capable of executing rapid maneuvers. This comes at the cost of armor, with Hydra's thin titanium plates providing marginal protection against a kaiju's harrowing attacks. Although such unbalanced stats were initially met with skepticism, Lanphier and LaRue racked up an impressive kill count by taking advantage of Hydra's offensive prowess, while avoiding its weaknesses. Strength Hydra is capable of exerting strength on par with her fellow Mk.IV's. Although not exponentially high, it is sufficient enough to power Hydra's rapid attacks. Hydra's pilots often put as much momentum behind their strikes with the use of claws and water jets. This tactic often bolsters Hydra's effective strength, and loosely resembles the fighting styles of Nova Hyperion and Crimson Typhoon. Armor Hydra is the one of only two jaegers with pure Titanium armor, the other being Crimson Typhoon. This selection was made for shaving off weight, more so than to provide protection. Hydra's thin armor is thus extremely brittle and vulnerable to damage. The jaeger is incapable of taking more than a few hits without suffering heavy damage. Speed Hydra is the fastest Mk.IV jaeger, surpassing Crimson Typhoon and Nova Hyperion by a considerable margin. This stems from both the pilots' fighting style and the jaeger's characteristics; both Crimson and Nova have sufficient armor, something Hydra sorely lacks. Therefore, Hydra makes up for its lack of armor by decreasing likelihood of getting hit. Compared to Crimson and Nova, Hydra places greater emphasis on sprint speed, as opposed to the Eastern mechs' focus on fluidity. Lanphier and LaRue prefer choppy attacks which dish out maximum damage, and thus need rapid acceleration behind each strike. Armament Hydra's primary armament is the PH43 Microwave Death Ray. Although the weapon's exact principles are undisclosed, it is widely speculated to involve some form of antimatter technology. It can be unleashed using two methods: dispersed and concentrated. The dispersed death ray is more akin to a shockwave, and is capable of leveling a small city with one shot. When fired in a concentrated beam, the death ray's energy is condensed into a small area. This can burn right through a kaiju's body if aimed correctly. Owing to its tremendous energy consumption, the PH43 takes up to 15 minutes to charge, allowing no room for error during combat. It is never utilized unless the conditions are favorable. The "Hydra's claws" are two sets of quadruple-claws, housed within Hydra's forearms. Each claw is forged from carbon-steel and heated by carbon nanotubes for maximum effectiveness. They can be used as both stabbing and slashing weapons. The Ultrasonic Pulse Cannon is one of the few non-lethal weapons fielded by the PPDC. It emits a high-frequency ultrasonic pulse specifically engineered to disorient kaiju. Hydra's pilots often use this to either direct a kaiju's attention toward them, or escape a nasty predicament. Trivia * Hydra's pilots graduated the Academy class of 2015, but were assigned to a jaeger 3 years later. * Hydra's conn-pod design was modeled after that of Romeo Blue. * Both Lanphier and LaRue were close friends with Josh Griffin and Tyler Zachery, as well as the Wei triplets. * Hydra and Crimson Typhoon are the only two jaegers with pure titanium armor. This feature sacrificed durability for weight savings. * Hydra was the first mark IV jaeger to be completed, and also the first to be destroyed. * Despite her relatively early destruction, Hydra's impressive kill count of 5 is behind only Striker Eureka, Crimson Typhoon, Cherno Alpha, Nova Hyperion and Gipsy Danger. Kaiju Killed Category:Jaegers Category:Mark IV